Sweet Salone

Well, we’re now at the end of our travels around Sierra Leone (‘Salone’ or ‘Sweet Salone’ in Krio language) and waiting for onward connection to Guinea-Bissau via Senegal. We had a good dose of ‘rough’ roads (like car losing contact with the road or skidding backwards in a cloud of blue tyre smoke ‘rough’) but also had some interesting times and enjoyed a glimpse into the sometimes tragic beauty of the country. Our travels took us from the far south near the Liberian border to see Tiwai island (recommended!) through central Sierra Leone to the remote far north. The highlight of the trip was (with some good 4×4 driving skills) getting to the remote and beautiful region of Bafodia in the Wara-Wara mountains near the border with Guinea-Conakry. Bafodia has the reputation as the center of black magic in the region and we were privileged to be able to meet and interview Paramount Chief Al-Haji Al-Mamy Hamidu I as well as other senior dignitaries of the Wara-Wara Bafodia chiefdom and observe some of their mystical heritage.

Infrastructure has been very limited in these areas. and things are not entirely smooth in the urban centers at the moment with a fuel crisis and internet issues, so unfortunately no chance to upload pictures, but these and an account of our explorations into the heady world of black magic and the ‘secret societies’ of West Africa will follow once we’re back in the UK for christmas… now for Guinea-Bissau!